Russian Intelligence Agency Can Tap Skype Users Without Court Order

Even since Microsoft acquired Skype, a number of issues have cropped up regarding the privacy and security of the tool. Some claim that Microsoft has created backdoors in Skype to allow legitimate wiretapping. It has now been found out that Russian Federal Security Service can tap into users’ Skype without a court order.

In other words, FSB can tap into any of the Russian Skype users, anytime they want, without any legal or technical hindrance in their way. What is even more astonishing is that FSB has apparently been doing this since quite some time.

According to the General Direction of Group-IB, Ilya Sachkov, “Special services have been capable for several years not only to wiretap but also to locate a Skype user. That’s why, for instance, employees of our company are forbidden to discuss business-related topics on Skype.”

What is especially intriguing is that Microsoft seems directly responsible for this. Another information security analyst cites, “After Microsoft acquired Skype in May 2011, it updated the software with technology allowing legitimate wiretapping.”

If this claim proves true, it essentially means that Microsoft has build back-doors in Skype so that the company can tap into users’ conversations whenever it wants to. The very thought is frightening and suddenly, all the concerns cited towards Skype’s security seem valid. Microsoft needs to come out on the issue and tell Skype users exactly how can third-parties tap into the tool and access user information.